The Adirondacks From I-87 To Keene, New York

Another Sunday dawned bright and clear, albeit cold, and it was time for another trip with the dogs up to the farm. I drove north on I-87 for over an hour before I began to see the real Adirondacks just ahead:

Though it's been a cold, snowy winter, there'd apparently been a recent thaw as this mountain alongside I-87 was almost completely snow free:

And once we'd pulled off onto Route 73, the first big mountains which came into view were Giant Mountain and Rocky Peak Ridge:

Unnamed mountains and valleys lined both sides of Route 73 and driving on such a clear, bright day was a scenic delight:

As we gained altitude, the mountains alongside the road began to show more and more snow:

This one, however, must have been too steep to hold its snow. I think it had just all fallen off:

The highway began to drop down into the Keene Valley, after which we'd drive right back up into the high peaks:

I stopped to take a picture and the dogs watched me with concern:

I stopped in the hamlet of Keene Valley (which, of course, is in the Keene Valley) and turned down Trail End Road to see what I could see. The view was wonderful:

 On we drove through the Keene Valley, with mountains rising up on both sides:  


These homes sure had spectacular views:

And this must surely have been a farm at one time. They still sometimes have horses in that pasture:

The High Peaks In Winter, Part 2

I was on Route 73, driving through the High Peaks Region of the Adirondacks, on my way to a visit to the farm. The dogs and I had passed through the Giant Mountain region and began dropping down into the Keene Valley:

Daphne and Clover watched the passing scenery with interest:

We passed through the hamlet of St. Huberts:

There was a deep chasm right next to the road and then more mountains:

And once we were in the Keene Valley, there were flatlands surrounded by mountains:

A few farms have survived in the Keene Valley, but mostly it is now a place for tourists:

And the old barn I photograph on nearly every trip:

When we reached the high plateau of Route 458, the scenery became different but altogether gorgeous, kind of like driving through the Black Forest:

My front seat buddies:

And then, just ahead of me, I saw a Bobcat slowly crossing the road, not overly concerned with me or my car:

I pulled off the road onto the shoulder in order to watch his progress into the forest:

He became a little bit nervous after I'd stopped to watch him. When he reached the trees, he positioned himself behind one of them, stuck his head around the tree trunk and watched me suspiciously. The dogs never seemed to notice him, which was a good thing as they'd likely started barking. But we were close to the farm at that point and I pulled back onto the road to finish the journey:

The High Peaks In Winter, Part 1

We were on our way to the farm and had begun our trek through the High Peaks Region of the Adirondacks. The dogs were very happy, but then they seem to be happy all the time about everything. I envy their bright, cheerful dispositions:

We headed onto Route 73 and immediately began to see snowy forests and high mountains. If I remember correctly, that was Giant Mountain up ahead:

All along the road were mountains:

And frosted forests of great beauty:

The views are better in winter than in summer because the leaves are off the deciduous trees:

I slowed down to pull over and snap a photo. That got Daphne and Clover interested in finding out what I was looking at:

And this was what I was looking at. The nearby mountain had a dusting of snow on it which produced a striking effect and brought the trees and rocks into sharp contrast. I thought it was breathtaking. By the way, don't miss the big pile of snow alongside the road which the snow plows had pushed there:

And on we traveled on Route 73. I drove and ogled the mountains. The dogs mostly slept:

More mountains, some big - some small:

Chapel Pond with its surrounding hills:

Another look out over Chapel Pond:

A bigger mountain just through those trees. But we were just getting started and there was much more winter beauty to see along the way. I'll post more tomorrow:

Autumn Drive Through The High Peaks Region - Part 2

I was on my way up to the farm with my carload of dogs. We'd passed through the Giant Mountain section and began to drop down into the Keene Valley. But of course I had to stop and snap a picture of this waterfall:

I stepped over the guard rail to take a picture of the dogs, but quickly discovered that the drop-off was precipitous and potentially quite dangerous. I snapped this one shot which also included the rocky cliff on the opposite side of the road:

We were surrounded by late autumn Adirondack loveliness and I was taking the time to appreciate it:

We passed once again by the Ausable River. That pile of small stones in the center of it was, I believe, deposited by the floods of Hurricane Irene. But it sure looked peaceful and friendly on that day:

Another waterfall right next to the road:

And another view of the Ausable River:

The Keene Valley is surrounded by mountains and they were quite spectacular on that day:

These peaks were lit up by the sun and looked almost as if they were glowing from within. The wispy clouds added to the effect:

Another mountain beside the road and more autumn color:

Some of the really high peaks were barely visible from Marcy Field. The highest places were shrouded in cloud cover:

It was a rainy day but the sun peaked through here and there to light up bits of mountainsides:

And this scene was - well, you can see for yourself. But I was remembering the indescribably brilliant fall colors from two weeks previous and decided to drive that same route to see if they remained. I'll post about our journey on the Port Kent Road tomorrow:

The High Peaks Dressed In Autumn Splendor

I'd been so enthralled by the spectacular autumn colors along the Port Kent Hopkinton Turnpike that I'd spent several hours traveling less than 50 miles. I determined to cease my picture taking and just drive. So I turned south onto Route 3 and drove into the town of Saranac Lake. But when I passed by lovely Lake Flower - well, you know I had to stop for at least one photo. By the way, I noticed that the bakery across from Lake Flower is called the Lake Flour Cakery:

And from there I headed southeast through the High Peaks Region:

Bigger mountains sidled right up alongside the road, all cloaked in autumn finery:

The road dropped sharply down into the Keene Valley:

And there were more scenic wonders to be viewed in the Keene Valley:

These two small mountains kept watch over Marcy Field:

As Route 73 would through the Giant Mountain region, the colors intensified:

And the dogs kept watch whenever I got out of the car to snap a photo:

I saw this woman alongside the road, apparently a professional photographer, and I knew at once that her choice of scenery was perfect. I had to drive on ahead and find a place to turn around, but that's just what I did:

Because I knew that she was standing at the top of the Ausable River gorge, with a roaring water flume down below and autumn finery adorning the banks:

The Ausable River is a picturesque mountain stream which flows along Route 73 and provides such visual delights as these:

But I was almost to the Northway and knew that I'd then put my camera away and focus on my driving. But I had three sleeping elves beside me and wanted to preserve that sweet moment in a photo before I got onto the highway: